Baby Doll Dresses Up!

Dolls are as popular today as they were when I was a young girl. My oldest granddaughter has several, all of which are 12″ dolls. For Lauren’s birthday in October, I wanted to expand her baby wardrobe with some new additions. Although there are countless patterns and tutorials for 18″ dolls, I found very few for the 12″ baby dolls and other small dolls that toddlers can easily hold, change and nurture.

What to do? Make patterns, of course, and grab my scraps!

After being the lucky recipient of two large bags of quilter’s scraps last summer, I put them to good use making these doll clothes. I made a reversible dress, a reversible top with matching bloomers, and flannel pajamas. Let’s start with the dress, which Lauren calls her doll’s ‘party dress’.

Reversible Party Dress: two versions

This dress is great because it has Velcro closures and does not need to go over the head, making it easy for young girls to dress their doll. The pattern is simple and you can add buttons, lace, or ruffles, as far as your imagination takes you! This is the time you will be glad you saved those small scraps of lace, Velcro or trim. The purple dress got a pleat in front because it was my first prototype, and was too wide!

Patterns

Please note: Print patterns on a 8-1/2″ X 11″ paper. All seam allowances are 1/4″. Since all dolls are a bit different in size, make sure you “try on” each pattern prior to cutting the fabric, and make adjustments accordingly. I know these are in pretty rough form. Maybe someday I’ll re-do them!

Bloomers

Flannel pajamas

Use one of the shirt patterns for this easy set of pj’s. (I made the neck a bit big, so added a bias strip.) The shirt goes together in this order: shoulder seams, attach sleeve to armhole, hem neck, hem bottom, hem sleeves, sleeve and side seams (in one), fold back closures and add strips of Velcro.

Make the pants the same as the bloomers, except cut the leg longer and hem the leg openings.

Flannel pj’s made with bloomer pants lengthened and hemmed.

Velcro used to close shirt back

You can follow Theblueberrymoon, which has wonderful tutorials Here with many variations and other doll clothes you’ll love.

It’s so much fun to see little faces light up with the new outfits to dress their dolls! The project also made me feel like a kid again!